Over the the past few years we have witnessed a hijacking. A robbery in broad day light. The offender didn’t move slowly in the night. The “crime” happened right before our very eyes, right under our noses. The Life Coaching industry has well and truly been hijacked by a mix of get rich quick marketeers, charlatans and inexperienced amateurs filled with hyperbole. The sound of cash registers (Ka-ching) has attracted a mercurial band of individuals and organisations who now disguise themselves as industry “experts”, just so they can make a fast buck.
This has resulted in a very skewed perception by potential clients, customers and commissioners of both coaching and coaching courses. Cynicism is at a all time high and the danger is that people who could really benefit from the services of a skilled Coach are being denied the opportunity. When I “entered” the field in 2001 the most common response to the question “Have you considered Life Coaching training?” was either a blank face or an inquisitive “What’s that?”. Now you’re more likely to get a slap in the face than a blank face. How have things become so horribly wrong?
In my opinion at least some of the blame rests with the multitude of coach training providers. Hyped up claims about how becoming a Life Coach will bring you a life of easy income from a home based business. Turned into a nightmare of more and more courses as well intentioned people spiralled down well lubricated sales funnels. We’ve all seen the all too familiar “FREE one day introduction to coaching course. Followed by the full paid course and “now that you’re a coach you’re going to need our “How to get clients course”. What about our new course on “using social media to promote your coaching practice” course and don’t forget our specialist niche courses on…. parent coaching, women entrepreneur coaching, young offenders coaching, divorced father coaching, or ex pilots who want to be clowns coaching. Okay, I made the last one up.
Some of you may be raising an eyebrow (or two). Is this the same Bob Singha? The Bob Singha that co-founded the Youth Coaching Academy? That co-wrote, designed and trained on the world’s first (add trumpet fanfare sound effect) fully accredited Youth Coach Course? The “one day youth coaching skills course” Bob Singha?. Pots and black kettles, you may think. Yes, it’s me and in my defence, one of the reasons I re-evaluated by career in 2007 was because I became disenfranchised by the surge of training requests from individuals and organisations who wanted to coach because it was the latest craze or they could see “the money” in it. Don’t get me wrong, financial sustainability and a keen business sense is a very valuable thing for a coach to have. However in my opinion this shouldn’t be the “driving” force. The best coaches I have mentored, trained and supported over the years come from a rare breed of people who get a buzz from helping people. They do it because they love it. They do it because in some ways it’s what they were born to do. They want to be good at it because their focus is on the client, their needs, challenges and goals. They want to use coaching and coaching skills to enhance and strengthen what they already do. Being a coach is not for everyone. It’s tough sometimes, and a “making more money” focus isn’t enough to get you through the challenges.
In many ways the essential trust between the coach and client is weakened dramatically when the client begins to suspect the coach is using “tactics” to increase the number of sessions or sell other products. The same can be said (perhaps more so) for the relationship between a coach trainee and coach trainer. In my humble opinion “Making More Money” is important but it should never be the central focus for a coach or a coach trainer’s practice. This focus is depriving many communities and individuals who desperately need coaching and all it has to offer.
I am always seeking out and proactively nurturing partnerships with quality coaching providers, so that together, we can provide quality Life Coaching and Life Coaching training to individuals and communities that perhaps need it the most.
And hopefully we’ll begin to see more Life Coaching and less Life Ka-ching.